week 11 – framing messages

This week spoke about the way in which we as people of PR put forward the main message that we want the audience to be aware of. I was completely unaware of how much we need to think about the way in which we present the message in order to be most effective.

The phrase

‘There’s good news, and there’s bad news’ can completely apply in these situations. When addressing our publics there may be negative information that we must make them aware of in order to maintain a trustworthy relationship, however we need to identify the best way to approach this situation. If the negative is put forward first, people may automatically get caught up in this negativity and discard the positive, however we put forward the positive first, it may then be overshadowed by the following negative statement.

We also need to be aware of the most appropriate way to address our publics, therefore, knowing in which publics is would be appropriate to use emotional language and imagery to get our point across, or whether we merely give them factual evidence. Although telling our audiences exactly what is going on is vitally important, we must also be sure not to drag on our message and lose their interest.

The best way to know how to present our message to our publics is to maintain a strong relationship with them and understand their needs and what it is they want to know. From understanding these basics, we can then present the message in the most effective way possible, whether it be a negative os positive message.